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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — all right
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com